Apparatus for printing indicia on a series of documents

ABSTRACT

Apparatus is disclosed for disposing indicia on a plurality of documents as they are moved through the apparatus. The apparatus includes a feed path along which the plurality of documents are moved one at a time, a printing member for placing indicia on the documents as they are fed along the feed path, and a backup member movable from a first, retracted position in response to the passage of a document to a second engaging position in which the backup member serves to support the document as suitable indicia are placed thereon by the printing member.

United States Patent [72] lnventors Albert C. Wlegert;

Casimlr Nawrocki, both of 901 Elmgrove Road, Rochester, N.Y. 14650 [21] Appl. No. 861,327 1 [22] Filed Sept. 26, 1969 [45] Patented Dec. 14, 1971 [73] Assignee Eastman Kodak Company Rochester, N.Y.

[54] APPARATUS FOR PRINTING INDIClA ON A SERIES OF DOCUMENTS 6 Claims, 10 Drawlng Figs.

[52] 11.8. C1 101/233, 101/D1G. 3, 101/234 [51] Int. Cl. 841113/20, B41f 13/26 [50] Field olSearch "ml/233 23 7, D10. 3

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 323,799 1885 Ethridge 101/237 688,214 12/1901 Waite lOl/233 1,633,245 6/1927 Eskholme.. 101/235 1,726,449 8/1929 Oman 101/233 X 2,120,247 6/1938 Funk et a1... 101/235 X 2,380,331 7/1945 Ryan et al 101/233 2,443,791 6/1948 lelfleld 101/235 2,567,493 9/1951 Oden 101/235 2,950,675 8/1960 Copping et al.... 101/236 3,037,447 6/1962 Gonzalez et al. 101/235 X 3,142,246 7/1964 Ross 101/233 X Primary Examiner-Clyde l. Coughenour AltorneysRobert W. Hampton and R. Lewis Gable Patented Dec. 14, 1971 5 Sheet 1 ALBERT c. WIEGERT CASIMIR KI vuNn m ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 14, 1971 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ALBERT C. WIEGERT CASIMIR NAWROCKI 2,0 INVIENTORS BY %%W%M ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 14, 1971 5 Sheets-5heet 5 ALBERT C. WIEGERT CASIMIR NAWROCKI lNVIz'N'H )RS ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 14, 1971 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ALBERT C. WIEGERT CASIMIR NAWROCKI ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 14, 1971 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ALBERT C. WIEGERT CASIMIR NAWROCKI INVUNTURS BY ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR PRINTING INDICllA ON A SERIES OF DOCUMENTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to apparatus for handling a plurality of documents and, more particularly, to such apparatus for disposing indicia onto the plurality of documents.

2. Description of the Prior Art In apparatus for reproducing documents such as checks, it is often desirable to print indicia on the back of the document before it is photographed. More specifically, reproducing apparatus such as microfilmers are adapted to receive a stack of documents and to photographically record the documents one at a time onto a strip of photosensitive material. Typically, such apparatus includes a document handling mechanism for receiving a stack of documents and for feeding them along a path one at a time, and a camera mechanism for photographing the documents one at a time as they pass an exposure station.

Typically, suitable indicia may be applied to the document by an array of characters or type upon which an inking medium has been coated. Such printing members may typically take the form of a roller with characters or type disposed thereon. Illustratively, the roller is rotated to bring the type into contact with the document and to thereby dispose the desired indicia on the document. One problem arising with the use of type to apply ink, is that the ink or printing medium transferred to the character type may be accidentally transferred to the mechanism for handling the documents or to the documents themselves. As a result, the handling mechanism may be clogged or dirtied with ink and additionally, the document may be blemished with ink smudges or spots. One possible solution would be to mount the printing roller so as to move from a first position remote from the documents to be imprinted to a second position where at a printing member may come into contact with the documents. Typically, the imprint roller could be moved from the supporting to the retracted positions by a solenoid. However, it would be necessary for the operator to actuate the solenoid each time it was desired to place indicia on the document or to provide a suitable mechanism for detecting the presence of the document as it is fed to the printing station and for actuating the printing member.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to substantially eliminate the undesired transfer of the inking medium onto the handling mechanism and/or the document to be printed.

It is a further object of this invention to selectively provide a backing to the documents to be printed as the document is being disposed in a position to be printed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the teachings of this invention by a document printing assembly including a document-carrying mechanism for moving a plurality of documents past a printing station, a printing assembly for placing indicia on the documents as they pass the printing station, and a backup member movable from a first, remote position in response to the movement of a document to the printing station, to a second position to provide support to the document as the indicia is being placed or printed thereon by the printing assembly.

In one illustrative embodiment, the backup member may take the form of a flexible member disposed in the path along which the documents are directed and which is moved from its first position under the influence of the document as it is directed through the printing station. In other illustrative embodiments, the backup assembly may take the form of a roller which is biased by spring means or by gravity to its inoperative position and which is moved under the influence of the document to its second operative position.

The invention and its objects and advantages, will become more apparent in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments presented below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention presented below, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a document printing assembly in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial, front view showing how the flexible member is mounted on the assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A and B are respectively an enlarged, sectioned side view, and a perspective view of the printing assembly shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are respectively a sectioned, side view, and a front view of an alternative embodiment of this invention utilizing a gravity biased, backup roller;

FIGS. 6 and 'l are respectively a sectioned, side view and a front view of an alternative embodiment of this invention in which a backup roller is spring biased to its inoperative position; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are respectively an orthogonal and front view of an alternative embodiment of this invention in which a backup finger is flexed to an operative position in response to the passage of a document to be printed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a document printing assembly 10 including a drive means 12 which may take the form of a motor, which is connected to a drive shaft 16 by a drive belt 14. A pair of drive pulleys l8 and 19 are connected to the drive shaft 16 to rotate therewith under the influence of the drive means 12. A pair of conveyor belts 22 and 23 are respectively disposed about and driven by the drive pulleys l8 and 19. As shown particularly in FIG. 1, the conveyor belt 22 is disposed about the drive pulley l8 and the idler pulleys 29 and 28 in a configuration as shown in FIG. 1. It may be understood that that conveyor belt 23 is disposed about the drive pulley 19, a first idler pulley 34 and a second idler pulley (not shown) in a similar manner. Further, a second pair of conveyor belts 24 and 25 are disposed, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, to form respectively feed paths 47 and 48 with conveyor belt 22 and 23. More specifically, the conveyor belts 24 and 25 are superimposed respectively over conveyor belts 22 and 23 so as to be driven respectively by the conveyor belts 22 and 23, which are driven by the pulleys l8 and 19. The conveyor belts 24 and 25 are disposed about the curvature of the drive pulleys 18 and 19. The conveyor belt 24 is suspended about idler pulleys 30, 31 and 32 as shown in FIG. 1, and the conveyor belt 25 is suspended about three idler pulleys (only idler pulley 33 is shown) in a similar fashion. As shown in FIG. I, a plurality of documents 20 may be fed along the feed paths 47 and 48 from an input station 26 between the conveyor belts 22 and 25, and 23 and 24 to an output station 27. It may be understood as indicated in FIG. 38 that each of the documents 20 is held between both of the pairs of belts 22 and 24 and 23 and 25 as they are passed from the input station 26 to the output station 27.

As the plurality of documents 20 are moved along the feed paths 47 and 48, the center portions of documents 20 will be directed to a printing station 49 and into contact with a printing roller or member 38 which is rotated to bring one of a plurality of print characters 42 into contact with the document 20 thereby printing the desired indicia or message thereon. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the imprinting roller 38 is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 40 and is disposed between the drive pulleys l8 and 19. In order to provide a continuous supply of inking fluid to the print characters 42, an inking roller 44 is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 46 so that the periphery thereof abuts the periphery of the imprinting roller 38 to thereby effect a transfer of the inking medium to the print characters 42. It may be understood that as the imprinting roller 38 is rotated under the influence of the document 20, that the inking roller 44 will also be rotated to thereby spread the inking medium onto the characters 42.

In accordance with the teachings of the invention, there is provided a selectively actuatable backup assembly 50 including, as shown particularly in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a flexible backup member 52 extending into a surface as defined by the feed paths 47 and 48 so that a rounded portion 51 thereof may intercept the documents as they are directed thereby. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 2,-the flexible backup member 52 is mounted upon the support member 54 by a plurality of screws 56. The flexible backup member 52 is disposable from a first, remote position as determined by an adjustment screw 58 to a second position as determined by a stop screw 60. More specifically the adjustment screw 58 may be selectively positioned to control the extent to which the rounded portion 51 extends into the surface defined by the feed paths 47 and 48. The stop screw 60 is threadably received within a support member 54 so as to provide an abutment surface against which the flexible backup member 52 is pressed as the documents 20 are moved thereby.

In operation, a. plurality of documents 20 are fed one at a time into the input station 26 and between the conveyor belts 22 and 23, and 24 and 25. As the documents 20 are moved along by the conveyor belts, the leading edge of a document 20 will engage the rounded portion 51 of the flexible backup member 52 to thereby dispose the member 52 from its first remote position to its second, supporting position against the stop screw 60. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the flexible backup member 52 functions to support and to press the document 20 radially outward from the drive pulleys I8 and 19 and toward the roller 38. More specifically, the rounded portion 51 serves to press a portion of the document 20 into engagement with the printing roller 38 thereby rotating the roller 38 and causing the characters 42 to print the desired indicia onto the document 20. There is a selected clearance between the printing roller 38 and the path along which the documents 20 are directed, which clearance is indicated in FIG. 3A by the letter C. By proper selection of clearance C and also the placement of the roller 38 between the pulleys l8 and 19, the inking medium is not misapplied to the mechanism for moving the documents past the printing station 49 and/or to the documents 20 themselves. Rather, the inking medium is printed on the documents 20 as they pass the printing station 49 to thereby activate the backup member 52 to its operative position. Once the document 20 has passed the printing station 49, the flexible backup member 52 is again free to return to its first inoperative position and the printing roller 38 remains out of contact with the member 52 and the mechanism for moving the documents 20 past the printing station 49.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown another embodiment of this invention in which a backup assembly 150 includes a backup roller 155 which moves from a first remote position under the influence of a document 120 as it is moved past a printing station 149 to a second supporting position in which a backup roller 155 serves to press the document 120 out from a surface as defined by a feed path 148. The roller 155 is supported upon a shaft 161 which is in turn disposed through a pair of openings I57 and 158 within support plates I52 and 153 respectively. A pair of retaining lugs 162 and 163 retain the roller 155 with respect to the support plates 152 and 153. The support plates 152 and 153 are mounted upon a support member 160 by suitable means known in the art. In operation, the documents 120 are fed by conveyor belts 122 and 125, and 123 and 125 along the path 148 so that the leading edge of the document 120 engages the roller I55 moving the roller 155 to its second or supporting position. In addition, the document 120 is pressed by the roller 155 into engagement with a printing roller I38 to thereby rotate the printing characters 142 and to print indicia on the documents 120. After the document 120 has passed the printing station 149, the roller 155 moves back to its first remote position under the influence of gravity.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, there is shown another embodiment of this invention similar to that shown in FIGS. 4

and 5. In particular, a backup assembly 250 is shown including a pair of backup rollers 255 and 256 which are disposed or biased to their first or remote position by a spring or flexible biasing means 262. The pair of backup rollers 255 and 256 are mounted upon a shaft 259, which in turn is disposed through openings 257 and 258 within support plates 252 and 253 respectively. The backup rollers 255 and 256 are movable along the path as determined by the openings 257 and 258 as the documents 220 are moved through a printing station 249. The spring biasing means 262 is connected at one end to the shaft 259 and at another end to a rod 266 supported between a pair of support plates 264 and 265'. The support plates 264 and 265 and 252 and 253 are mounted and secured by suitable means to a support member 260. In operation, the document 220 engages the backup rollers 255 and 256 as the document is moved past the printing station 249 to thereby move the document 220 into contact with a rotatable printing roller 238 and to bring print characters 242 disposed on the periphery of the roller 238 into contact with the document 220. As the characters 242 contact the document 220, indicia is printed onto the document. Under the influence of the conveyor belts, the document 220 is moved past the printing station 249 thereby allowing the backup roller 255 and 256 to return to their first or retracted position under the influence of the spring-biasing means 262.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, there is shown a further illustrative embodiment of this invention including a backup assembly 350 having a backup member 352 for selectively supporting documents against a printing roller (similar to that discussed above). The backup member 352 includes a plurality of actuating fingers 354 and 355 which extend into a sur face along which the document is moved to thereby deflect the actuating finger 354 and 355 to a second position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 8. The backup member 352 also includes a support finger 358 which is moved back under the influence of the actuating fingers 354 and 355 to engage a limiting member 356. The limiting member 356 serves to direct the support finger 358 to a second position shown in dotted line in FIG. 8 to thereby press the document into engagement with the printing roller and to thereby affect, as described above, the printing of suitable indicia onto the document. As the document is moved by conveyor belts 322 and 323, and drive pulleys 318 and 319 past the printing station, the actuating fingers 354 and 355 will return to their initial or first position with the result that the backup finger 358 will return to its initial position remote from the printing roller and from the path along which the documents are directed. As shown in FIG. 8, the backup member 352 is mounted upon a support member 360.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for printing indicia on a flexible document of the kind provided with first and second portions, said apparatus comprising:

means for engaging the first portion of such a document and for advancing a document so engaged along a predetermined path;

means for printing indicia on the second portion of an engaged document;

means for supporting said printing means at a location spaced from said predetermined path;

means for contacting and urging the second portion of an engaged document into abutment against said printing means; and

means for mounting said contacting and urging means for movement from a first position, wherein said contacting and urging means is disposed in said predetermined path and spaced from said printing means, to a second position, wherein said contacting and urging means is disposed adjacent said printing means, and in a manner such that said contacting and urging means will be moved from said first position to said second position by an engaged document advancing along said predetermined path.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said engaging and advancing means includes:

a pair of belts; and

means for supporting said pair of belts for movement of respective, successive portions thereof into contiguous relation.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim I, wherein said contacting and urging means includes:

means for guiding the second portion of an engaged document into abutment against said printing means, and wherein said mounting means includes:

means for supporting said guiding means for movement along said predetermined path from said first position to said second position.

4. Apparatus for printing indicia on a flexible document of the kind provided with first and second portions disposed in spaced relation and with a third portion disposed between the first and second portions, said apparatus comprising:

first and second means, disposed in spaced relation, for

respectively engaging the first and second portions of such a document and for advancing a document so engaged along a predetermined path;

means for printing indicia on the third portion of an engaged document;

means for supporting said printing means at a location spaced from said predetermined path;

means for contacting and urging the third portion of an engaged document out of said predetermined path and into abutment against said printing means; and

means for mounting said contacting and urging means for movement from a first position, wherein said contacting and urging means is disposed in said predetermined path and spaced from said printing means, to a second position, wherein said contacting and urging means is disposed in said predetermined path and adjacent said printing means, and in a manner such that said contacting and urging means will be moved from said first position to said second position by an engaged document advancing along said predetermined path.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said contacting and urging means includes:

means defining a curving surface for guiding the third portion of an engaged document out of said predetermined path and into abutment against said printing means.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said mounting means includes:

means for supporting said curving surface defining means for movement along said predetermined path from said first position to said second position. 

1. Apparatus for printing indicia on a flexible document of the kind provided with first and second portions, said apparatus comprising: means for engaging the first portion of such a document and for advancing a document so engaged along a predetermined path; means for printing indicia on the second portion of an engaged document; means for supporting said printing means at a location spaced from said predetermined path; means for contacting and urging the second portion of an engaged document into abutment against said printing means; and means for mounting said contacting and urging means for movement from a first position, wherein said contacting and urging means is disposed in said predetermined path and spaced from said printing means, to a second position, wherein said contacting and urging means is disposed adjacent said printing means, and in a manner such that said contacting and urging means will be moved from said first position to said second position by an engaged document advancing along said predetermined path.
 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said engaging and advancing means includes: a pair of belts; and means for supporting said pair of belts for movement of respective, successive portions thereof into contiguous relation.
 3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said contacting and urging means includes: means for guiding the second portion of an engaged document into abutment against said printing means, and wherein said mounting means includes: means for supporting said guiding means for movement along said predetermined path from said first position to said second position.
 4. Apparatus for printing indicia on a flexible document of the kind provided with first and second portions disposed in spaced relation and with a third portion disposed between the first and second portions, said apparatus comprising: first and second means, disposed in spaced relation, for respectively engaging the first and second portions of such a document and for advancing a document so engaged along a predetermined path; means for printing indicia on the third portion of an engaged document; means for supporting said printing means at a location spaced from said predetermined path; means for contacting and urging the third portion of an engaged document out of said predetermined path and into abutment against said printing means; and means for mounting said contacting and urging means for movement from a first position, wherein said contacting and urging means is disposed in said predetermined path and spaced from said printing means, to a second position, wherein said contacting and urging means is disposed in said predetermined path and adjacent said printing means, and in a manner such that said contacting and urging means will be moved from said first position to said second position by an engaged document advancing along said predetermined path.
 5. Apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said contacting and urging means includes: mEans defining a curving surface for guiding the third portion of an engaged document out of said predetermined path and into abutment against said printing means.
 6. Apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said mounting means includes: means for supporting said curving surface defining means for movement along said predetermined path from said first position to said second position. 